Coaches' Corner: Johns Hopkins' Steele Stanwick

To conclude our Midseason Report and kick off ILWomen’s Coaches’ Corner, Inside Lacrosse’s Halley Quillinan went around the horn with some of the top assistant coaches in the country to check in on where their respective teams were in the offseason, where they currently stand and — most importantly — where they’re headed in the coming weeks as conference play heats up and the NCAA Tournament kicks off in just over a month.

Johns Hopkins: Flourishing Under A New Direction

“I always try and do what I would want as a player.” -Steele Stanwick

Where They Were: A season ago, Johns Hopkins rattled off four wins before falling in back-to-back contests at the hands of Northwestern and Georgetown. From there on out, the Blue Jays suffered streaks of inconsistency and finished the season at 10-7. A roster that traditionally boasts some of the top national talent, specifically from the Baltimore metro area hotbed, the Jays have always had all of the right components to reign supreme as their men’s program has done for so many years.

Insert former Virginia men’s All-American and US Team attacker Steele Stanwick and the new-look Hopkins attack has flourished under its new direction. “It’s definitely been an interesting ride. I came into a good situation with a strong group of seniors,” Stanwick said of the veteran lineup he began working with last fall. “The team works really hard.”

During the offseason, Stanwick and the Hopkins coaching staff instilled the basics in their players and it’s certainly paid dividends. “I always try and do what I would want as a player,” he explained of his coaching style and mentality. “A lot of it is teaching general concepts. We’ve brought in some two-man pick game, some flip passes. I just try to teach the girls and let them take it from there.” Under the new guidance and instruction of Stanwick, the Hopkins attack has outscored its opponents by a margin of 146-55 en route to the Blue Jays 10-0 start to the season — a program best for the Johns Hopkins women’s lacrosse team.

Where They Are & Where They’re Going: Heading into its 2014 campaign, Hopkins was receiving votes in the polls. Midway through the season, the Blue Jays comfortably rank amongst the top ten at No. 7 in the latest Brine Media Poll as they head into the toughest stretch of their schedule. No stranger to tough competition and the daunting stretch of ranked opponents, Stanwick is preparing his attacking unit for its clash with Vanderbilt this weekend before taking on the Florida Gators and reigning ALC champ Northwestern, whose coaching staff also features a specific flare of the men’s game in volunteer assistant coach Scott Hiller. “I’ve done my best not to conform to the women’s game,” Stanwick explained of his overall approach to the transition he’s made in the past year. “I’ve just been doing what’s been helpful to me in the men’s game and trying to bring that into practice.”

The Johns Hopkins attack has certainly reaped the benefits of that approach, as senior All-American Taylor D’Amore has come into her own this spring and leads the deep, multi-dimensional attacking unit with a vey balanced 53 (27G, 26A) points. As Hopkins continues to forge on through the most challenging stretch of its schedule, the Jays are playing some of their best lacrosse right now with a recent win over Georgetown showing the depth, creativity and versatility the lineup boasts. With April lacrosse just a week away and the ALC Tournament looming shortly after, Hopkins will continue on its mission of capturing its first ALC crown and making an appearance in the big dance come May.

Overtime: Taylor D’Amore The senior playmaker has grown tremendously since she first stepped foot on Homewood four years ago. Currently sitting atop the Hopkins ranks in assists, points and draw controls, Stanwick says it’s been great having her on the team for his first season at JHU. “She’s a joy to have on the team. I’m lucky to have her down on my end,” he continued, “She just has a desire to be great. It’s been fun to experiment new concepts with her. She’s just always trying to learn more.”